Local

Occupy Protesters Target Monsanto On One-Year Anniversary Of Movement

Related Tags:

SACRAMENTO (CBS13/AP) — Members of the Occupy Wall Street movement say they plan to celebrate their first year with demonstrations all over the country.

Protesters, many dressed in bio-hazard suits, have gathered outside the Monsanto building on 5th Street in Davis.

Monsanto, an agricultural biotech company, is being targeted by the Occupy movement all over the country.

“The reason I’m personally targeting Monsanto is because of their laundry list of what I call crimes against nature,” said Occupy protester Trevor Twist.

The official Occupy Movement “Call to Action” says Monsanto has “poisoned the food supply,” “profited off of the torture, confinement, and cruel treatment of countless animals,” and working conditions among other reasons.

“I think it’s a historic day. It’s really extraordinary these young people, and people of all ages have kept up the movement for a year,” explained Liza Grania who was also protesting outside the Monsanto building.

In New York City, there have already been several arrests as thousands gather in the Big Apple on this day dubbed a “Day of Civil Disobedience.”

Activists say they plan to take to the streets with a march Monday afternoon from Justin Herman Plaza to the city’s Financial District and then with an evening rally outside the Bank of America building on California Street, the site of previous protests.

Last year, hundreds of protesters camped out for weeks at the public plaza across from the city’s Ferry Building, a magnet for tourists and in the heart of the Financial District where nearby businesses were affected.

In Oakland, a metal fence now surrounds the City Hall lawn that was the hub of several violent clashes between activists and police during fall Occupy-inspired protests that attracted international attention.